


Behind the Mask

by Paradoxikalli



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradoxikalli/pseuds/Paradoxikalli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since her first day at Beacon, Velvet has known her leader hides her weaknesses behind a mask. For just as long, she's been waiting for the right moment to pull Coco from behind that shield and help her the same way Coco's been helping her all along. But when the time comes, will Velvet's support stop at friendship? Or will it turn into something more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm really addicted to writing this ship.

_Learn to judge, and the upper hand is yours._

 That was one of the lessons that had been pressed into Velvet's mind by her family. Look at the way they move, keep an eye on how they stand, evaluate what clothes they wear. Listen to their voice, pay attention to the words they say, weigh their tone. Notice how they smile, dig into their souls through their eyes, look for weight shifts. Be aware of the force they use when they touch you, follow their line of sight, look at where they like to be in a room.

 And going by that logic, Coco Adel should have been an easy person to analyze.

 She moved with a confident stride. She liked to stand with one hand on her hip, looking very calm and collected. Her clothes were all very nice and very expensive. Her voice was feminine and melodic. Her words went straight to the point. Her tone was always even, never wavering at any point. She didn't smile much...or show any emotion, really. She constantly wore sunglasses, only giving people glimpses of her eyes if she had to emphasize her emotions when she showed them. She never shifted her weight nervously. She used brute force in battle but was never anything but gentle with Velvet. It was practically impossible to tell what she was looking at because of those stupid sunglasses. She had no habit as to where she stood in a room; she just went anywhere she pleased.

 From all those observations, Velvet gathered that Coco came from a wealthy family, knowing exactly where she stood and where she wanted to go. She was overflowing with confidence and had full control of her emotions. She used her full strength against enemies without even hesitating but always controlled herself with friends and allies. Her ridiculous sunglasses made it even more powerful when she shot a person she deemed unpleasant a death glare or showed some other emotion to someone she cared for.

 Okay, simple enough...but not really. Sometimes Velvet could tell that the confidence was a mask. It was nothing but Coco's shield, hiding any traces of weakness inside herself. It was like there were two Cocos: the one people saw and respected, and the one no one knew existed.

 Velvet was fascinated by that. She desperately wanted to see and meet the second Coco, but the second Coco was locked in an impenetrable vault, guarded by layers and layers of a facade that never faltered. There were little almost slips every now and then, but Velvet only noticed because of how carefully she watched everyone, especially Coco. She was quite sure she was the only one who knew the second Coco was there at all.

 As much as Velvet wanted to draw the second Coco, the real Coco, out through displays of trust and kindness, the faunus didn't directly announce she knew Coco was living behind a suit of armor built from sunglasses and carefully crafted confidence. She wanted Coco to come out from behind that armor willingly. If Velvet pulled at her too hard or showed she knew as much as she did, Coco would retreat and never come out to her.

 So she waited.

 Currently she was going back to her dorm. Dr. Oobleck's class had let out a half hour early due to his usual fast pace and an urgency to buy more coffee. Fox and Yatsuhashi were with Professor Port, so they'd probably be staying at least forty minutes as captives forced to endure his infamous tales of heroism. Coco's last class had ended over an hour ago so she was probably training. Or shopping. She could be shopping.

 Velvet opened the door to the dorm to see a sight she'd never seen before: Coco sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in them. She appeared weak and vulnerable. She didn't even look up when Velvet walked in and quietly closed the door behind her. The faunus hesitated for a few seconds before walking over to sit on the side of Coco's bed. Her leader jumped and quickly jerked her head up, clearly startled by Velvet's presence. Her sunglasses, as always, did a spectacular job of hiding her emotions. 

 "Are you okay?" Velvet asked.

 "Yeah. I'm fine," Coco said. Velvet heard thick strain in her voice and knew it was a lie.

 "Sure you are. Here, give me these." Velvet reached out and gently removed her leader's sunglasses. Coco tried to fight her but Velvet was already tossing the accessories aside, a few feet out of their owner's reach but safely on the bed so they wouldn’t fall and Coco wouldn’t give her hell about mistreating part of her fashionable wardrobe.

 Now that the tinted lenses were gone, Velvet could see the emotions in her leader's eyes. Fear, doubt, guilt, sadness...everything people never saw or expected in Coco. Velvet felt her heart do a bittersweet somersault as she realized she was finally seeing the second Coco Adel: the real girl, not the mask.

 So now Velvet decided it was time for her to carefully pull Coco out completely, to make her see that she could trust her faunus teammate and confide in her without fear. It was time for Velvet to admit that she knew Coco was hiding, that she'd known the whole time she'd been on Team CFVY, and that she'd wanted to meet Coco's true self for just as long.

 "You're not fine," Velvet told her evenly. "You've never been fine, Coco."

 "What?"

 "I read people like books. It's what I've been taught to do my whole life, just to make it through the days with minimal pain. From the day I met you, I've known you have two sides. You’re not two-faced or deceptive, don’t get me wrong. You’re just…not exactly what everyone thinks you are. There's a mask you made to shield yourself, hiding behind your sunglasses, using a confident front as a suit of armor. And I knew, even on that first day, that it’s a mask you express, not who you really are. I could always tell that there's a second side you're running from, hating, and trying to conceal. I've wanted to meet this side of you since I realized that."

 "This side of me? Why?" Coco asked. She looked surprised, but she didn't argue with Velvet's analysis. That confirmed the faunus's points as valid, and also provided her with hope. Maybe Coco would open up about this instead of shutting down.

 "At first it was just so I could get to know the real you. To figure out if you're the same inside. But now...I want you to see that you don't have to be afraid of letting me in. You've done so much to help me, Coco. I want to help you too."

 "I don't think there's much you can do here, Velvet. This side's just a lost cause."

 Coco's tone was a bit hopeless. She was clearly resigned to the fact that her teammate knew about her mask, but she didn't seem to see yet that Velvet was truly offering full support, not trying to show her encouragement or calling her out as a liar.

 "That's what I said about myself when I got to Beacon," the faunus remembered softly. "I said I was a lost cause. I was sure I was worthless. Heading down a dead-end road. And do you know what convinced me otherwise?"

 "What?" Coco asked dully, staring down at her knees. Velvet smiled and rested a hand under Coco's chin, nudging her head up until their eyes met again.

 "I was put on a team with an insufferable girl who was determined to change my mind about myself. She always told me I was worth more than I knew. She said she'd always be around to help me up when I fall down, and that she'd never give up on me. She was there to help me through even my roughest days. She picked me up and made me feel safe and loved. You know what girl did all that?"

 Coco tried to look away but Velvet stubbornly kept her from averting her gaze.

 "Her name is Coco Adel. You did that, Coco. Now our places are switched, and I want to do for you what you did for me. So open up to me. Let me in so I can help you. Please, Coco. Don't shut me out and pretend everything's fine, because I won't buy that, and I won't give up on you. No matter how much you try to push me away, I'll come right back."

 Velvet met Coco's eyes with firm determination, making it clear that she wouldn't back down on this. There were several seconds of silence before Coco sighed.

 "Dammit Velvet...why do you have to be so cute when you're this determined?" she asked.

 "Because that's my secret weapon against particularly stubborn people," the faunus said. "Now tell me what's wrong, and don't leave anything out."

 "I...from the day I was born, I was raised for great things. My parents are rich and slightly famous. I went to the best schools, got the best clothes, used the best technology. I decided I wanted to be a Huntress and my parents found one of the best trainers in Remnant to prepare me for combat school. They spent as much money on one hour with her as some families spend on food in a month. I got through school with no problem, got into Beacon with no problem. I thought everything was great. I thought...maybe I'd finally be able to express how I feel, not put on an act."

 There was a pause as Coco smiled sadly.

 "Then Ozpin picked me to lead you. I was already insecure and pretending I wasn't. I've been doing that my whole life. I never liked showing weakness because growing up in a wealthy household means you can never show weakness. If you look weak, they'll tear you to shreds without a thought. I thought if I got a good leader at Beacon, I'd be able to stop acting and just be confident without pretending because I’d have someone to follow who saw more than a price tag when they looked at me, and who genuinely wanted to help me feel better instead of just make me hide what I really feel without solving the problem. But when I got on that stage and Ozpin announced that I would be the leader of Team CFVY..."

 She sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and continued.

 "I was in no position to be a leader. Having that title just made everything worse on two fronts. My parents bragged about me left and right, and I physically couldn't show weakness when I had to earn the respect of you, Fox, and Yatsuhashi. Then I had to stay strong to keep that respect, and the respect of everyone else. Students, professors, average people...I couldn't falter. And...um...that's all there is to it. Nothing else."

 "Oh really?" Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Coco, you are not the best liar without your sunglasses."

 "But...the rest is..."

 "What?"

 "Embarrassing," Coco admitted softly. She tried to turn her face away but Velvet gently pulled her back around.

 "I'm not going to laugh at you, or think down on you, or judge you, or make fun of you, or anything like that. Just tell me," Velvet urged.

 "Fine," Coco sighed. "Growing up the way I did didn't really let me have any meaningful relationships, you know? I had several flings before Beacon, but once I got here I was...caught off-guard by some new feelings. Deeper feelings."

 "A crush?" Velvet asked, making sure she just sounded curious and not the least bit jealous. Jealous? Why would she be jealous? She wasn't jealous. No way.

 Which, of course, was a complete lie.

 "Yeah. A crush. A crush that's been building up since those first few weeks at Beacon. It's...unbearable by now." Coco pulled her knees closer to her chest, blushing.

 "Well...who is it?" Velvet asked.

 No. Oh no. No. She did not just ask that. There was no way she just asked Coco...no, this would only prompt feelings of something that was almost similar to jealousy but wasn't actually jealousy because there was no reason for her to be jealous. No way had she fallen for Coco along her quest to pull out her leader's true self. A crush, on Coco? Not a chance!

 And...those were more lies.

 "Oh. Who is it? Umm...I..." Coco looked a little nervous.

 "N-never mind. You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry I asked. But you should tell whoever it is," Velvet said hastily.

 "No. I can't do that. She'd...um...it would just be humiliating for me, awkward for her, and fatal for the few shreds of confidence I project that are actually real."

 "She?" Velvet tilted her head curiously. Coco sighed and ducked her head, but Velvet just pulled her back up.

 "Yeah. She. I've been falling for her for a while, but I'm never going to tell her. I can't, okay? Wouldn't be good."

 "Alright. Hey, don't look away from me." Velvet gently brought her face around yet again.

 "Sorry, Velvet. Just don't want to break down, you know? I don't cry."

 "Coco. You're already outside the mask you put on every day. Just let go of it for now, okay? Don't be afraid. It’s just me. I’m here for you if you need to cry."

 Coco let out a long breath and Velvet crawled onto the bed beside her to wrap her arm around her shoulders. There were a few tense seconds before Coco nestled into her side and pressed her face into Velvet's neck, her shoulders shaking.

 "Sorry about this," the leader said softly.

 "No. No, don't be sorry. I've wanted to meet the real you for so long, and I like this side of you. You just...it feels like you need me to be here with you. To be here for you. You've done so much for me, Coco, and I want to do the same for you."

 "I really...I don't deserve this."

 "Of course you do. You deserve more too."

 "Velvet..."

 "Shh. Just relax."

 Coco sighed and wrapped her arms around Velvet, pressing into her for comfort. The faunus smiled and shifted to face her, pulling her into an even closer embrace. Coco's tears fell to Velvet's neck and her body still shook.

 They stayed like that for several minutes: Coco staying outside the walls of her confident fortress and Velvet holding her to comfort her during the expression of her uncertainty and emotional distress. It was actually fairly nice for Velvet. Being the strong one and holding Coco meant their positions were reversed. It felt like she was repaying her leader for all her support and kindness. It felt right.

 "Your heart's racing," Coco noticed once her muted sobs and the accompanying tears stopped.

 Velvet's whole body tensed, but only for a second. Then she forced herself to relax, her mind racing desperately, searching for some excuse. Any excuse.

 "Well...I...so is yours," she pointed out to divert the attention away from herself when her sharp hearing picked up her leader's rapid heartbeat.

 Now it was Coco's turn to freeze up.

 "So? I'm breaking down barriers, Velvet. It's to be expected. It doesn't mean anything."

 It was a perfectly plausible statement, but somehow Velvet didn't believe it. Maybe it was her empathy picking up increased nervousness and embarrassment, maybe it was how her leader’s muscles were still stiff, maybe it was the way Coco’s heartbeat sped up even more, or maybe it was a combination of those things. But all that really mattered was that Velvet didn't believe Coco's reasoning.

 "No, that's not it," the faunus declared firmly. "You're lying to me, Coco. Tell me the truth."

 "No, that...that is the truth. Really."

 "Hm. Okay, then look me in the eye and tell me. If you're not lying, you won't have a problem with doing that," Velvet challenged. Coco pressed closer to her.

 "Okay. Fine. It's something else. But I'm not telling you. I can't tell you, got it?" Coco insisted. "Let it go."

 Velvet didn't want to let it go. She dug into the deeper, almost psychic empathy that came with being a faunus, focusing on reading Coco's emotional spectrum.

 "I can feel you poking around in my head, Velvet. Cut it out. You won't like what you find there."

 Velvet ignored that and kept sifting through layers of feeling until she found something carefully guarded. She pushed through the fog and shields, searching for whatever Coco was attempting to keep hidden from her.

 "Velvet. Get out of there."

 But Velvet was close now. She managed to uncover the core of those protective thorns and her mind went into overload. She was flooded with emotional imprints from memories of herself, thoughts that had been suppressed, feelings kept locked away from the world, fantasies and dreams forced into dark corners...

 And suddenly it all made sense. Velvet drew in a sharp breath, her eyes widening as she pulled away from the embrace. Coco looked down, her shoulders slumping.

 "I warned you," she said. "I warned you..."

 Velvet cleared her shock and placed a hand under Coco's chin, tilting her head up until their eyes met and the faunus was able to lean forward, gently connecting her lips to her leader's.

 Coco made a slight sound, then seemed to register what was happening and returned the kiss. Velvet held her closer for a few seconds, then pulled away.

 "Coco...I've had the biggest crush on you for months," she confessed. "You could have said something. Why didn't you say something?"

 "I never thought you could feel the same way. Confidence issues and all, remember? It never even crossed my mind that maybe you returned the feelings."

 "Well I do," Velvet assured her. "I do." She reached out and gently caressed Coco's face. Her leader smiled slightly and closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

 Velvet felt her heart warm and leaned forward to press another kiss to Coco's lips. Then she pulled away slightly, resting her forehead against Coco's. Their eyes met.

 "I love you, Coco."

 "I love you too," Coco replied. Velvet smiled and gave her a kiss long enough to leave them both breathless.

 "Why don't you lie down?" Velvet suggested. "Relax. And...if it's okay with you...I'd like to relax with you."

 "Sounds pretty wonderful to me," Coco told her. Both girls tossed their shoes to the floor, then slipped under the sheets together. Coco shifted to meet Velvet's eyes. "So...are we...?"

 "Together?" Velvet guessed. Coco nodded. "Of course," the faunus told her, smiling.

 "And...what about...the pace?" her leader asked.

 "Pace? What...oh." Velvet's face flushed. "Coco, t-to be honest, I kind of...I'm ready for anything."

 "I...I'm not," Coco admitted. "Sorry..."

 "Don't apologize," Velvet told her. "I know you'd wait for me, so I'll wait for you. I really would have expected our positions to be switched on this."

 "Most people would," Coco replied. "I'm good at acting."

 "Not good enough to trick me," Velvet reminded her. "I saw through your mask on the first day."

 "Maybe you were never meant to be tricked. I don't believe in love at first sight, but it's definitely interesting that the only person to call my bluff is the one I end up falling for."

 "It is interesting," Velvet agreed. "And, I have to ask...why did you fall for me?"

 "I admired you, Velvet," Coco said. "I still do. You deal with so much every day, but you just keep going. You're not afraid to show how you feel and you're not ashamed when you're hurting. Then I got to know you better, and I found out how absolutely sweet and kindhearted you are. I've never seen you be spiteful to anyone, even the people who really deserve it. You're always there if someone needs you and you bounce back if something bad happens to you. You're the kind of person I want to be."

“You shouldn’t want to be like anyone,” Velvet replied. “You said that to me last year, when I told you I wanted to be more like you. Remember? You said I need to be who I am, not act like anyone else. You told me I need to develop who I actually am, not aim for being something I’m not.”

“Are you just going to keep throwing my words back in my face?” Coco asked with a slight smile.

“I am,” Velvet confirmed. “You’ve been helping me get more confident since Day One. Now I’m going to help you. If that means reminding you of what you’ve said to me to keep you from being a hypocrite, so be it.”

“Okay,” Coco agreed. “I’m keeping the sunglasses though. And…the act too, until I don’t need it anymore. But the sunglasses stay regardless.”

“That’s fine,” Velvet said. “But when we’re alone, don’t act.”

“I won’t,” Coco promised.

“And…” Velvet’s face flushed slightly. “And we should tell everyone about us. We shouldn’t hide it.”

“You sure?” Coco raised an eyebrow. “You get embarrassed easily, you know.”

“I know.” Velvet’s blush deepened. “But I don’t want to hide. And I want us to be there for each other in public too, not just in private. It might help.”

“Alright,” Coco said with a faint smirk. “Frequent PDA it is.”

Velvet’s face burned but she still smiled, admittedly excited about that. She wanted people to know she was with Coco now. She wanted to make sure everyone knew, to be honest. She wanted to show people that she loved Coco, and that Coco loved her, and that they weren’t ashamed of that.

A large part of her was also fairly eager to send a message to the people who admired her leader that Coco was taken now. While it amused Velvet that Coco practically had a fan club, she had been suppressing jealousy regarding those people since even before she realized her feelings for her leader. That jealousy had actually helped her figure her feelings out.

“But we will undoubtedly be given hell by our dear teammates,” Coco pointed out. Velvet groaned.

“Oh yeah…we definitely will. When they get back from class today they’ll be just…”

“They’ll figure out very quickly that teasing the leader who controls their chore and training schedules isn’t a good idea,” Coco promised with a chuckle. Velvet rolled her eyes and snuggled in a little closer, smiling.

“They’ll still tease us.”

“I know,” Coco admitted. “I just don’t care.”

“Neither do I,” Velvet agreed. “Cliché as it is, I have you so I’ll be fine.”

“Hmm. You’re very sweet,” Coco observed. Velvet blushed.

“Still…I want them to be surprised. Can we just…stay here?” she requested.

“Of course,” Coco said. “How could I ever say no to that?”

Velvet smiled and slid close enough to lock Coco in a gentle kiss. Her girlfriend draped an arm around her waist so Velvet pulled her in until their bodies pressed together. Wanting to be a little closer, she slipped one of her legs between Coco’s. Her leader pulled back from the kiss abruptly, blushing faintly.

“Oh! Are you…should I…?” Velvet wondered if she’d overstepped her bounds. Coco chuckled and smiled slightly.

“You’re fine, Velvet,” she assured her, moving her own leg forward to rest over the faunus’s and intertwine with her a little more. “But don’t move it too high. Not quite ready for that.”

Velvet blushed violently, her eyes widening.

“N-no! No, no, you already said you want to wait. I…I wouldn’t…um…” She cleared her throat and Coco watched her with an amused expression. “Not yet,” Velvet said.

“I know.” Coco smirked. “I just wanted to tease you a bit.”

“Not funny,” Velvet complained, but she still found herself smiling.

“Yes it was,” Coco argued playfully. Velvet rolled her eyes and effectively shut her smug girlfriend up with a kiss. She heard footsteps approaching the door and quickly pulled away.

“They’re back,” she noticed softly.

“Didn’t you want them to be surprised?” Coco prompted.

“Yeah,” Velvet admitted.

“Then come here and don’t stop,” her leader said, kissing her. Velvet was happy to oblige, somehow holding Coco even closer. She heard the doorknob turn but didn’t break the kiss.

“Port’s blunderbuss went off and set fire to the classroom,” Fox said in a pleased tone as the door opened. “Class let out early because of—WHAT are you two DOING?”

Velvet struggled not to smile, refusing to pull away. Coco seemed all too happy to continue the kiss as well.

“What’s going—wait, WHAT?” Yatsuhashi asked in shock. Coco separated her lips from Velvet’s by just a couple inches.

“You two are intruding on a private moment,” she informed them. “Can you get out?”

“Not until you explain,” Yatsuhashi established firmly. Coco sighed.

“Well…I guess we have to separate then,” she noticed disappointedly.

“Just for now, right?” Velvet asked hopefully. Coco smiled and gave her a brief kiss.

“Just for now,” she confirmed. “As if I could ever stay away.”

“Why’s that?” Velvet asked teasingly.

“Because I love you,” Coco told her, smiling.

“I love you too,” Velvet replied.

“We’re waiting,” Fox said impatiently. Coco gently pressed her lips to Velvet’s one more time before they reluctantly disentangled themselves and sat up, facing their bewildered teammates.

“So…” Coco began. “Have you two ever heard of a little thing called love?”

Velvet giggled at the dumbfounded expressions of the boys and decided that this relationship was going to be fun, loving, encouraging, and maybe, just maybe…

Maybe it would stand true through the tests of life and remain strong permanently. Meeting Coco’s eyes for a brief moment gave her excited butterflies as she realized it looked like her leader was putting her mind to keeping their relationship alive as well. And when Coco put her mind to something, nothing could stop her, which meant nothing could stop them and this wonderful discovery of their mutual love.

Velvet couldn’t resist the urge to move a little closer to her girlfriend, pressing her side against Coco’s. Her leader wrapped an arm around her shoulders, reaching over with her other hand to find Velvet’s hand and hold it. The faunus smiled and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

_Nothing can stop us now._


End file.
